Biodiversity and Ecosystems, MRes

Qualifications

MRES: Applicants for the MRes Biodiversity and Ecosystems must normally hold an undergraduate degree at first or upper second class honours degree level in Bioscience or a related subject (or Non-UK equivalent as defined by Swansea University). See - Country-specific Information for European Applicants 2019 and Country-specific Information for International Applicants 2019.

English Language

IELTS 6.5 (with a minimum of 6.0 in each component) or equivalent English test.

As well as academic qualifications, Admissions decisions may be based on other factors, including (but not limited to): the standard of the research synopsis/proposal, performance at interview, intensity of competition for limited places, and relevant professional experience.

Academic Technology Approval Scheme (ATAS) Requirement

Non UK/EU applicants are required to obtain ATAS clearance for this programme of study. Successful applicants are sent ATAS application details by the University PGR Admissions team. Further details on the ATAS scheme can be found at on the government Academic Technology Approval Scheme webpage.

Reference Requirement

As standard, two references are required before we can progress applications to the College/School research programme Admissions Tutor for consideration.

Applications received without two references attached are placed on hold, pending receipt of the outstanding reference(s). Please note that any protracted delay in receiving the outstanding reference(s) may result in the need to defer your application to a later potential start point/entry month, than what you initially listed as your preferred start option.

You may wish to consider contacting your referee(s) to assist in the process of obtaining the outstanding reference(s) or alternatively, hold submission of application until references are sourced. Please note that it is not the responsibility of the University Admissions Office to obtain missing reference(s) after our initial email is sent to your nominated referee(s), requesting a reference(s) on your behalf.

The reference can take the form of a letter on official headed paper, or via the University’s standard reference form. Click this link to download the university reference form.

Alternatively, referees can email a reference from their employment email account, please note that references received via private email accounts, (i.e. Hotmail, Yahoo, Gmail) cannot be accepted.

References can be submitted to pgradmissions@swansea.ac.uk.

Over the year-long course, students undertake three taught modules to provide them with a range of core science skills (including research methods, data analysis and scientific writing) that underpin selection and decision-making in December to design and conduct a 9 month research project from January-September.

Tuition fees for years of study after your first year are subject to an increase of 3%.

You can find further information of your fee costs on our tuition fees page.

Note: The 2025/2026 UK fee is indicative pending confirmation from UKRI.

You may be eligible for funding to help support your study. To find out about scholarships, bursaries and other funding opportunities that are available please visit the University's scholarships and bursaries page.

International students and part-time study: It may be possible for some students to study part-time under the Student Visa route. However, this is dependent on factors relating to the course and your individual situation. It may also be possible to study with us if you are already in the UK under a different visa category (e.g. Tier 1 or 2, PBS Dependant, ILR etc.). Please visit the University information on Visas and Immigration for further guidance and support.

Current students: You can find further information of your fee costs on our tuition fees page.

You may be eligible for funding to help support your study.

Government funding is now available for Welsh, English and EU students starting eligible postgraduate research programmes at Swansea University. To find out more, please visit our postgraduate loans page.

To find out about scholarships, bursaries and other funding opportunities that are available please visit the University's scholarships and bursaries page.

Academi Hywel Teifi at Swansea University and the Coleg Cymraeg Cenedlaethol offer a number of generous scholarships and bursaries for students who wish to study through the medium of Welsh or bilingually. For further information about the opportunities available to you, visit the Academi Hywel Teifi Scholarships and Bursaries page.

Access to your own digital device/the appropriate IT kit will be essential during your time studying at Swansea University. Access to wifi in your accommodation will also be essential to allow you to fully engage with your programme. See our dedicated webpages for further guidance on suitable devices to purchase, and for a full guide on getting your device set up.

You may face additional costs while at university, including (but not limited to):

• Travel to and from campus
• Printing, photocopying, binding, stationery and equipment costs (e.g. USB sticks)
• Purchase of books or texts
• Gowns for graduation ceremonies

A bench fee of £2000 will be charged. Depending on the project the bench fee will be used for (but is not limited to):

• Incidental costs incurred in the training of research students
• Attendance at relevant training courses, where these are relevant to the research being undertaken by the student
• Provision of non-standard equipment and consumables
• Provision of journals and books where these are not available through the University Library or through inter-library loans
• Attendance at conferences where the student is presenting a talk or poster on their research
• Travel and subsistence associated with research project activities

Applications: include a statement where you highlight potential areas of research you are interested in, identifying areas of interest that match the department research themes. If you have developed a research project with a supervisor then please include the supervisor’s name, project title and a summary.

Research project selection: some applicants may have discussed and agreed a research project with a supervisor but you do not need to have anything arranged before applying and starting the MRes Bioscience course. Various activities are organised for students during the first term to help with consideration of potential projects, meeting with academic staff and selection of a project title.

If you have any questions about the content or delivery of the MRes Biosciences programme, please contact the course coordinator, Dr Nicole Esteban (n.esteban@swansea.ac.uk).

For UK applicants

For International applicants

For all EU/International enquiries please contact:

international-science@swansea.ac.uk

+44 (0)1792 295142 

For further guidance on how to apply please visit our how to apply for postgraduate study pages. 

Suggested Application Timings

In order to allow sufficient time for consideration of your application by an academic, for potential offer conditions to be met and travel / relocation, we recommend that applications are made before the dates outlined below. Please note that applications can still be submitted outside of the suggested dates below but there is the potential that your application/potential offer may need to be moved to the next appropriate intake window.

October Enrolment

UK Applicants – 15th August

EU/International applicants – 15th July

EU students - visa and immigration information is available and will be regularly updated on our information for EU students page.

Specialist facilities available for MRes research projects include a custom-designed 19 metre coastal research catamaran, unique (in UK) Centre for Sustainable Aquatic Research, Swansea Lab for Animal Movement, bespoke behaviour and ecology facilities, dedicated molecular ecology and endocrinology laboratories.

• Top 300 in the QS World University Rankings by subject 2023 for Biological Sciences
• UK Top 3 for Course Satisfaction (The Guardian University Guide 2022)
• UK Top 10 for Research Quality (The Complete University Guide 2023)
• 90% of our research outputs have been recognised as world leading and internationally excellent - Research Excellence Framework (REF) 2021
• 100% of the environment was rated as world leading and internationally excellent - Research Excellence Framework (REF) 2021